When the PCs arrive in the river town of Whiterush, spring is in full bloom and love is in the air. Brant Greaves, son to Lord Breldin Greaves of Whiterush, is set to marry Jacklyn Quinn, the spell-bindingly beautiful daughter of a merchant named Zolin Quinn. Zolin is the shady owner of a merchant company whose employees range from the shifty to the downright thuggish, and he is more than a little vague about his recent relocation from “the city” to Whiterush. The townsfolk resent his dominance of local trade, dislike his brutish retainers, and distrust Jacklyn’s and Brant’s engagement. However, the Quinn dowry is large, and the impoverished Lord Greaves will not hear a word against his future in-law—certainly not from common townsfolk.
However, Lord Breldin and Zolin Quinn have more dire concerns than opinionated citizens. Until recently a band of orcs living in the dense forest outside town coexisted peacefully with the citizens of Whiterush. Now, led by a mysterious hooded highwayman, they engage in banditry and raid Zolin’s trade wagons. The brigands have seized much of Jacklyn’s dowry, and Zolin wants it back. He and his retainers are city folk and easily lost in the woods. Quinn needs some trained adventurers to solve his ‘orc problem’.
